Watercraft-stabilizing system

ABSTRACT

The craft is supported on a plurality of legs extending from its body to a plurality of pontoons on which are mounted elements of the stabilizing system including two sets of shock absorbers operative respectively to minimize the transmission of pontoon pitch and roll movements to the legs. Other elements of the stabilizing system include another set of shock absorbers coupled between the upper ends of the legs and the craft body and operative to eliminate substantially entirely the transmission of pontoon movements to the craft body.

States Patent [72] Inventor Samuel W. Valenm, Jr.

1405 Farrell Ave, Cherry Hill Township, Camden County, NJ. 08034 [21] Appl. No. 30,142 [22] Filed Apr. 20, 1970 [45] Patented Aug. 24, 1971 {54] WA'I'ERCRAFT-STABIIJZING SYSTEM 9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

[52] 11.5. C1. 114/61 [51] Int Cl B63b 1/10 [50] FieldoiSem-ch 114/61 [56] Referencm Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 942,687 12/1909 White 114/61 1,344,903 6/1920 Koiransky 114/61 2,347,959 5/1944 Moore et a1. l14/61X 3,002,484 10/1961 Dube 114/61 Primary Examiner-Andrew H. Farrell Att0rneyWalter H, Sponagle ABSTRACT: The craft is supported on a plurality of legs extending from its body to a plurality of pontoons on which are mounted elements of the stabilizing system including two sets of shock absorbers operative respectively to minimize the transmission of pontoon pitch and roll movements to the legs. Other elements of the stabilizing system include another set of shock absorbers coupled between the upper ends of the legs and the craft body and operative to eliminate substantially entirely the transmission of pontoon movements to the craft body.

Patented Aug. 24, 1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Aug. 24, 1971 3,601,077

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WATERCRAFT-STABILIZING SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In present-day cruising type of houseboats, there is a trend toward a relatively expensive and redundant design which is so similar to the ordinary cabin cruiser in performance and operating/maintenance costs that it appears inevitably to become the accepted cabin cruiser of the future. As a consequence, the true houseboat will have been lost to the houseboating segment of the boating world by the effort of the boat-building industry to offer, to another segment of the boating world, watercrafts on cruiser-type hulls which are speedier than the conventional houseboats and are relatively spacious.

Although conventional houseboats can provide substantially greater spaciousness than anything that can be floated on a cruiser-type hull, they lack the relatively rapid mobility of the latter. Also, the presently known houseboats are required to have hulls that are strong enough to withstand the shocks to which they are subjected by the water in which they are floated and through which they may be propelled at even relatively low speeds. Additionally, such shocks necessarily are transmitted to all parts of the vessel and cause some degree of discomfort to passengers. Furthermore, the passengers must endure other inconveniences such as noises and vibrations arising from the propulsion engines, the electrical generators and the like that must be mounted aboard the vessel. Moreover, the space occupied by such apparatus and the space required for fuel storage, for stowage of paint and other maintenance items is space that is not available for living quarters.

It, therefore, is an object of this invention to provide a houseboat having spaciousness, relatively light duty construction and substantially shock-freedom of the shelter perse, and virtually I00 percent utilization of the shelter as living quar ters.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to watercraft of the houseboat type, and particularly to a system for stabilizing the body of such a craft supported by legs on a plurality of pontoons.

In accordance with the invention, one feature of the stabilizing system comprises the apparatus by which the lower end of each supporting leg is coupled to its associated pontoon. This apparatus includes two normally horizontal coplanar plates, an inner one of which is disposed within an aperture of an outer one. A pivotal mounting for the lower end of a leg is attached to the inner plate and allows a rotative movement of the leg relative to the inner plate in a first vertical plane. Another pivotal mounting for the inner plate is attached to the outer plate and allows the inner and outer plates to rotate relative to one another in a second vertical plane at right angles to the first vertical plane. First resilient means (e.g., shock absorbers) is coupled between the inner and outer plates to minimize the transmission to the leg of pontoon movements in the second vertical plane. Second resilient means (e.g., shock absorbers) is coupled between the outer plate and the pontoon to minimize the transmission to the leg of pontoon movements in the first vertical plane.

A second feature of the stabilizing system embodying the invention includes a third pivotal mounting attached to the body of the craft for the upper portion of the leg which has an effective appendage extending on the other side of the pivot point from the leg. Third resilient means (e.g.. shock absorbers) is coupled between the extending leg appendage and the craft body to eliminate substantially entirely the transmission of pontoon'movements to the body. In most applications of the invention, the first and second pontoon-associated resilient means may be of fixed effectiveness. In some particular applications, however, the third bodyassociated resilient means may be of adjustable effectiveness.

For a more specific disclosure of the invention and its mode of operation, reference may be had to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof which is given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a houseboat type of pontoon-supported watercraft;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the watercraft;

FIG. 3 is a front end elevational view of the craft;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of one of the pontoons showing the two normally horizontal and coplanar plates of the pontoon-associated resilient means and the coupling thereto of the lower end of one of the craft body supporting legs;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary end view of the upper portion of one of the supporting legs showing one aspect of its coupling to the body of the watercraft; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side view of the leg mounting of FIG. 7 showing another aspect of the leg coupling to the body of the craft.

In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 a watercraft, such as a houseboat, has a body 11 which is supported on four pontoons 12, 13, 14 and 15 by interconnecting legs 16, l7, l8 and 19 respectively. As indicated in these figures each leg is a three-pronged forked member, the outer prongs of which are pivotally coupled to the structural frame 20 of the body 11 as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 and to which subsequent reference will be made. In the interest of achieving a relatively low cost of manufacture, all four legs are identical. Their points of attachment to the structural frame 20 and their angular orientation relative to the craft body 11 is such that the combined center of gravity of the pontoons 12, 13, 14 and 15 coincides substantially with the center of gravity of the craft body. Because such details form no part of the instant invention, they have not been shown specifically in order to avoid unnecessary complication of the disclosure.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, to which reference now is made, are views of the aft pontoon 12 on the starboard side of the craft body 11. It is to be understood that the stabilizing apparatus associated with the other pontoons 13, 14 and 15 is identical to that shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 and operates in the same way. The stabilizing apparatus includes an outer plate 21 and an inner plate 22 which is located within a centrally disposed aperture 23 of the outer plate 21. Normally these two plates are substantially horizontal and coplanar. The plates are resiliently coupled together by a pair of shock absorbers 24 and 25. The shock absorber 24 is attached at its upper end to the under side of the inner plate 22 adjacent its forward edge and at its lower end to a bracket 26 affixed to and depending from the under side of the outer plate 21. Similarly, the shock absorber 25 is connected between the under side of the inner plate 22 adjacent its aft edge and a depending bracket 27 affixed to the under side of the outer plate 21.

The inner plate 22 also is provided on its under side with a hub 33 which has a circular bore through it extending in the port-starboard direction of the pontoon 12. Additionally, the outer plate 21 is provided with a trunnion 34 on its under side adjacent the port and starboard edges of the aperture 23 therein. The trunnion 34 journals an arbor 35 which extends through the bore in the hub 33 and upon which the hub and the inner plate 22 are adapted to rotate in the vertical plane extending in the forward-aft direction of the pontoon.

The three converging prongs of the leg I6 effectively terminate in a trifurcated yoke 36, the three arms of which have circular holes extending transversely therethrough in the forward-aft direction of the pontoon 12. A trunnion 37, mounted on the upper side of the inner plate 22, journals an arbor 38 which extends through the holes of the arms of the yoke 36 and upon which the yoke and the leg 16 are adapted to rotate. The yoke 36 is designed so that, irrespective of the angle at which the leg 16 is attached thereto, the arbor 38 is always oriented so as to be on an axis parallel to the forward-aft direction of the pontoon 12. Thus, the yoke rotates in the vertical plane extending in the port-starboard direction of the pontoon 12.

Each of the pontoons 12, 13, 14 and 15 is subject to for ward-to-aft pitch movements and to port-to-starboard roll movements or to a combination of both which the described stabilizing apparatus is operative to prevent substantially entirely from being transmitted by way of the legs 16, 17, 18 and 19 to the body 11 of the watercraft. When the pontoon 12, for example, is subject to pitch movements, the outer plate 21 of the stabilizing apparatus undergoes similar pitch movements but such movements are not transmitted to the inner plate 22 because these two plates are able to rotate relative to one another in the vertical plane of the pitch movements. Such rotation occurs about the arbor 35, and any tendency for the inner plate to follow the pitch movements of the outer plate 21 is opposed by the shock absorbers 24 and 25. Because substantially one of the pitch movements of the pontoon are transferred to the inner plate 22, these movements are prevented substantially entirely from being transmitted from the inner plate to the leg 16 and thence to the body 11 of the watercraft.

Roll movements of the pontoon 12 which may be transferred from the pontoon to the outer plate 21 and thence to the inner plate 22 are not transferred effectively to the leg 16 because of the ability of the leg to rotate relative to the inner plate about the arbor 38 in the port-to-starboard vertical plane of the roll movements. Additionally, any tendency for the inner and outer plates 21 and 22, respectively, to follow roll movements of the pontoon 12 is opposed by the shock absorbers 28 and 29. Thus, roll movements of the pontoon are prevented substantially entirely from being transmitted to the body 11 of the watercraft.

It will be understood that the movements of the pontoon 12, for example, usually are the resultant of both pitch and roll components. The described stabilizing system, however, is operative to prevent substantially entirely and simultaneously the transmission of both such components to the body 11 of the watercraft. Also, it is to be noted that the stabilizing systems associated respectively with all of the pontoons 12, 13, 14 and 15 operate independently of one another. Thus, the body 11 of the watercraft is maintained in a substantially horizontal position and is substantially free of shock and vibration arising from pitch and roll movements of the pontoons.

In addition to the stabilizing advantages derived from the resilient mounting of the watercraft body 11 on pontoons, the pontoons may be used for other purposes such as the housing of such apparatus as the propulsion engines, electrical generators and the like. Noises and vibrations from the operation of such apparatus are substantially prevented from reaching the craft body by reason of the remote location of the apparatus and by the operation of the resilient stabilizing system. Also, the pontoons may be used for the storage of propulsion engine fuel and for the stowage of paint and other maintenance items. In this way all of the space in the body 11 may be used for living quarters and the like. A houseboat type of pontoon-supported craft in the 15-foot range may be provided with one or two diesel propulsion engines by which to propel it through the water at speeds approximately up to 12 knots. Alternatively, gas propulsion engines will enable the movement of such a craft at considerably higher speeds. At such higher speeds the pontoons tend to plane," that is, to rise out of the water and to skim along the water surface. The stabilizing system in accordance with this invention enables the planing of each pontoon independently of the others by means, and in a manner, presently to be described.

The complete stabilizing system comprising thisinvention includes the apparatus by which each of the legs 16, l7, l8 and 19 of FIG. 1 is coupled to the body 11 of the watercraft. ln FIGS. 7 and 8 the two outer diverging prongs of the upper portion of the leg 16, for example, effectively terminate in an upper yoke 39 which has a pair of upstanding apertured cars 41 associated with the two outer leg prongs. A trunnion 42, depending from the underside of the structural frame 20 of the watercraft, journals pivot pins 43 which pass through the respective apertured cars 41 of the upper yoke 39. Such a mechanism enables the pivotal movement, in a vertical plane, of the upper yoke 39 and the leg 16 relative to the craft body 11.

The yoke 39 effectively constitutes an appendage to the leg 16 and serves to support a pair of brackets 44 depending from it on the'opposite side of the pivot pins 43 from the leg 16. Two shock absorbers 45 are mounted between the respective brackets 44 and the structural frame 20. These shock absorbers function to eliminate substantially entirely the transmission to the craft body 11 of any shock and/or vibration resulting from pontoon movements which may not have been completely eliminated by the stabilizing apparatus associated with the lower end of the leg 16.

In the described lower stabilizing apparatus, the leg 16 is coupled to the inner plate 22 at a point that is approximately at the center of gravity of the pontoon 12. This point also is the center of buoyancy of the pontoon when it is at rest. The shock absorbers 24, 25, 28 and 29 are spring-loaded devices which are under fixed tensions. The shock absorbers 28 and 29, which are located respectively on the port and starboard sides of the pontoon center of gravity, must effectively absorb the roll movements of the pontoon, and, hence, require relatively high tension springs. The shock absorbers 24 and 25, which respectively are located forward and aft of the pontoon center of gravity, require springs having sufficient fixed tension to maintain the watercraft in equilibrium while at rest and also to establish craft equilibrium at relatively high speeds after the pontoons have planed.

While planing, the forward end of a pontoon is raised relative to its aft end so that the forward-aft center of buoyancy of the pontoon is aft of its center of gravity. That portion of the total weight of the craft which is borne by one of the pontoons, therefore, has a turning moment about the aft-shifted center of buoyancy during pontoon planing. This condition must be taken into account in determining the fixed tensions of the springs of the shock absorbers 24 and 25. The minimum tension T for each spring is given by the expression T=Wd/8 where W is the total weight of the craft and d is the distance between the center of pontoon buoyancy at rest and the center of pontoon buoyancy while planing.

In order to allow the planing of one pontoon at a time it is desirable that the shock absorbers 45 at the upper end of the connecting leg 16, for example, be of an adjustable character. When the watercraft is at rest or moving at relatively low speeds, these shock absorbers should be under sufficient tension to provide the described stabilization of the craft. Under such tension the shock absorbers oppose any substantial vertical rotation of the leg 16 about the pivot pins 43 and, thus, effectively prevent the pontoon 12 from planing. At higher speeds, however, when the pontoons have a tendency to plane on the surface of the water, the tension of the shock absorbers 45 should be decreased so that the leg 16, for example, may rotate vertically more freely on its pivot pins 43. The forward end of the pontoon 12, thus, is allowed to respond to the force exerted upon the pontoon by its relatively rapid movement through the water and to rise until the pontoon is planing. The water drag on this pontoon is thereby materially reduced which allows the speed of the craft to increase further, assuming that the propulsion effort is constant or increasing. Such an additional speed increase effectively causes one after another of the remaining pontoons 13, 14 and 15 to assume planing attitudes. When all four of the pontoons have planed, the stabilizing system of the invention reestablishes and maintains equilibrium of the body 1 1 of the watercraft substantially as previously described.

The described stabilizing system of the present invention enables the stable and virtually vibration-free flotation of a houseboat type of watercraft on pontoons so as to afford maximum use of the craft body for living quarters and the like. Also, the system enables the propulsion of the craft at relatively high speeds without any significant sacrifice of stability and freedom from vibration. Another benefit to be derived from the use of the system is that the craft body, which is not required to withstand water-produced stresses, may be of a materially lighter construction than that of conventional houseboat designs.

What is claimed is:

1. In a watercraft including a body supported on the hulls of a plurality of pontoons by a plurality of legs extending from said body respectively to said plurality of pontoons, said pontoons being subject to forward-to-aft pitch movements and to port-to-starboard roll movements, a body stabilizing system for each of said legs comprising:

two normally horizontal coplanar plates, an inner one of said plates being located within an aperture of an outer one of said plates;

a first pivotal mounting on said inner plate for the lower end of said leg, whereby said leg is rotatable in a first vertical plane relative to said inner plate;

a second pivotal mounting on said outer plate for said inner plate, whereby said inner plate is rotatable in a second vertical plane relative to said outer plate;

first resilient means coupled between said inner and outer plates to minimize the transmission to said leg of movements of said pontoon in said second vertical plane; and

second resilient means coupled between said outer plate and said pontoon to minimize the transmission to said leg of movements of said pontoon in said first vertical plane.

2. A stabilizing system as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said first resilient means includes a first pair of shock absorbers mounted respectively on opposite sides of said second pivotal mounting,

the upper ends of said first pair of shock absorbers being attached to said inner plate, and

the lower ends of said first pair of shock absorbers being attached respectively to a first pair of brackets depending from said outer plate.

3. A stabilizing system as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said second resilient means includes a second pair of shock absorbers mounted respectively on opposite sides of said first pivotal mounting,

the upper ends of said second pair of shock absorbers being attached to said outer plate, and

the lower ends of said second pair of shock absorbers being attached respectively to a second pair of brackets depending from the hull of said pontoon.

4. A stabilizing system as defined in claim 3, wherein:

said first resilient means includes a first pair of shock absorbers mounted respectively on opposite sides of said second pivotal mounting,

the upper ends of said first pair of shock absorbers being attached to said inner plate, and

the lower ends of said first pair of shock absorbers being attached respectively to a first pair of brackets depending from said outer plate.

5. A stabilizing system as defined in claim 1, and also includ- 10 ing:

a third pivotal mounting on said body for the upper portion of said leg,

said leg having an appendage extending beyond said third pivotal mounting; and

third resilient means coupled between said extending appendage and said body to eliminate substantially entirely the transmission to said body of any movements of said pontoon.

6. A stabilizing system as defined in claim 5, wherein:

said third resilient means includes an adjustable shock absorbet.

7. A stabilizing system as defined in claim 6, wherein:

said first resilient means includes a first pair of shock absorbers mounted respectively on opposite sides of said second pivotal mounting,

the upper ends of said first pair of shock absorbers being attached to said inner plate, and

the lower ends of said first pair of shock absorbers being attached respectively to a first pair of brackets depending from said outer plate.

8. A stabilizing system as defined in claim 6, wherein:

said second resilient means includes a second pair of shock absorbers mounted respectively on opposite sides of said first pivotal mounting,

the upper ends of said second pair of shock absorbers being attached to said outer plate, and

the lower ends of said second pair of shock absorbers being attached respectively to a second pair of brackets depending from the hull of said pontoon.

9. A stabilizing system as defined in claim 8, wherein:

said first resilient means includes a first pair of shock absorbers mounted respectively on opposite sides of said second pivotal mounting,

the upper ends of said first pair of shock absorbers being at tached to said inner plate, and

the lower ends of said first pair of shock absorbers being attached respectively to a first pair of brackets depending from said outer plate. 

1. In a watercraft including a body supported on the hulls of a plurality of pontoons by a plurality of legs extending from said body respectively to said plurality of pontoons, said pontoons being subject to forward-to-aft pitch movements and to port-tostarboard roll movements, a body stabilizing system for each of said legs comprising: two normally horizontal coplanar plates, an inner one of said plates being located within an aperture of an outer one of said plates; a first pivotal mounting on said inner plate for the lower end of said leg, whereby said leg is rotatable in a first vertical plane relative to said inner plate; a second pivotal mounting on said outer plate for said inner plate, whereby said inner plate is rotatable in a second vertical plane relative to said outer plate; first resilient means coupled between said inner and outer plates to minimize the transmission to said leg of movements of said pontoon in said second vertical plane; and second resilient means coupled between said outer plate and said pontoon to minimize the transmission to said leg of movements of said pontoon in said first vertical plane.
 2. A stabilizing system as defined in claim 1, wherein: said first resilient means includes a first pair of shock absorbers mounted respectively on opposite sides of said second pivotal mounting, the upper ends of said first pair of shock absorbers being attached to said inner plate, and the lower ends of said first pair of shock absorbers being attached respectively to a first pair of brackets depending from said outer plate.
 3. A stabilizing system as defined in claim 1, wherein: said second resilient means includes a second pair of shock absorbers mounted respectively on opposite sides of said first pivotal mounting, the upper ends of said second pair of shock absorbErs being attached to said outer plate, and the lower ends of said second pair of shock absorbers being attached respectively to a second pair of brackets depending from the hull of said pontoon.
 4. A stabilizing system as defined in claim 3, wherein: said first resilient means includes a first pair of shock absorbers mounted respectively on opposite sides of said second pivotal mounting, the upper ends of said first pair of shock absorbers being attached to said inner plate, and the lower ends of said first pair of shock absorbers being attached respectively to a first pair of brackets depending from said outer plate.
 5. A stabilizing system as defined in claim 1, and also including: a third pivotal mounting on said body for the upper portion of said leg, said leg having an appendage extending beyond said third pivotal mounting; and third resilient means coupled between said extending appendage and said body to eliminate substantially entirely the transmission to said body of any movements of said pontoon.
 6. A stabilizing system as defined in claim 5, wherein: said third resilient means includes an adjustable shock absorber.
 7. A stabilizing system as defined in claim 6, wherein: said first resilient means includes a first pair of shock absorbers mounted respectively on opposite sides of said second pivotal mounting, the upper ends of said first pair of shock absorbers being attached to said inner plate, and the lower ends of said first pair of shock absorbers being attached respectively to a first pair of brackets depending from said outer plate.
 8. A stabilizing system as defined in claim 6, wherein: said second resilient means includes a second pair of shock absorbers mounted respectively on opposite sides of said first pivotal mounting, the upper ends of said second pair of shock absorbers being attached to said outer plate, and the lower ends of said second pair of shock absorbers being attached respectively to a second pair of brackets depending from the hull of said pontoon.
 9. A stabilizing system as defined in claim 8, wherein: said first resilient means includes a first pair of shock absorbers mounted respectively on opposite sides of said second pivotal mounting, the upper ends of said first pair of shock absorbers being attached to said inner plate, and the lower ends of said first pair of shock absorbers being attached respectively to a first pair of brackets depending from said outer plate. 